Effect of Information on Quality of Life

Effect of Information on Quality of Life

Rapid advancement in technology changes most domains of life and impact’s an individual’s quality of life directly. Access to information, particularly through technological-enabled devices, books, and other people, affects one’s perception and understanding of people, events, and processes. The information helps to enhance an individual’s quality of life in that it acts as a source of learning and education. Information literacy is essential that improves an individual’s prowess in the job market, business by making enhanced customer decisions, and in schools. The information provides an individual with a wider scope of knowledge and helps one to gain an in-depth understanding of life’s issues (Rockman, 2004). An individual’s quality of life is closely interrelated to their access to and efficient use of information.

Quality of Life and Information

The information has a direct influence on an individual’s quality of life in that it affects one knowledge of different facets of life. According to Ranaweera (2008), innovative people find the introduction of information technology in their life positive, although it may prove socially unfavorable to them. In contemporary times, when technology has taken control, people’s access to information has increased exponentially. However, although information is readily available, the manner in which one accesses and uses the information affects different aspects of their life negatively and positively. Access to information is an essential aspect of democracy in that it allows individuals to seek and receive documents that empower citizen participation in public issues. Information literacy serves as a critical tool for improving the government’s proficiency by encouraging people to exercise their fundamental human rights.

Information literacy affects an individual’s quality of life in that it promotes their thinking skills and problem-solving skills. The desire to ask questions and seek answers to life’s issues can improve one’s health and well-being. The availability of new information facilitates the evaluation of opinion and resources in a manner that facilities improving decision making that fosters effective contributors, confident and successful learners, and responsible citizens. Information literacy enables an individual to get the desire to evaluate situations such as to decipher the most reasonable scenario that supports their well-being. For instance, information literacy on the effects of substance abuse during pregnancy enables women to choose a healthy life to improve their well-being and that of the unborn baby. This shows that the availability of information helps to improve life decisions that improve one’s quality of life.

The availability of information enables an individual to identify, retrieve, analyze, and organize information in a manner that improves their decision making. The availability of information from social media, newspapers, and digital devices equips people with information that affects how they undertake different tasks in life. The availability of information on technological devices and social media platforms facilitates the development of a learning attitude that makes an individual better equipped at learning in all aspects of life.

However, although the availability of essential information helps to enhance people’s lives and well-being, improvement in an individual’s well-being is largely dependent on the application of information collected. One must apply the sourced information creatively and critically in order to benefit from the available information. An individual must undertake information analysis in order to recognize misleading, false, and outdated information that could affect one’s lifestyle and quality of life adversely.

Information improves an individual’s quality of life by helping them to recognize the problems in a situation in order to establish questions that improve their creativity and well-being. The efficient use of available information can encourage one to make plans in order to find solutions to life’s daunting situations. However, in order to benefit from information, one must evaluate its credibility and apply it effectively. Effective organization and synthesis of information make it useful to an individual, such as to enhance their well-being. As 2019 explains, the availability of information enables an individual to process understanding and make the most desirable conclusions and decisions about their lives.

The importance of information in life cannot be underrated to both the young and old. The availability of information is a helpful tool that enables people to function effectively in most facets of life – school, personal matters, and work – in that they can identify the difference that exists between bad information and good information by evaluating it from varying perspectives. The information provides one with the ability to identify answers to difficult situations in life by empowering their creativity. As Rockman (2004) explains, individuals who understand information literacy can understand life’s situation and resolve it with accuracy and precision.

Information literate individuals extend beyond their knowledge of school documents and application to various academic problems to life’s situations. Information literacy is essential to the enlightened and effective citizenry in that it has implications that can affect people around the globe in varying ways.

Information literate individuals are guided by the spirit of perseverance and inquiry and the desire to find the most applicable mechanisms to undertake their tasks. Unlike other people with little knowledge, information literate individuals are in continuous search of information that helps them to become an improved version of themselves when undertaking different tasks and activities in life. According to Bucher (2000), an individual’s ability to apply their information effectively while evaluating it and applying it ethically to solve the identified is the main hallmark of an information literate person

In the contemporary world, the availability of information has increased at an exponential rate. However, although information is readily available on digital devices and on the internet, people are at a higher risk of suffering diminishes confidence and self-esteem that would affect their self-esteem. For instance, information about beauty and lifestyle can influence one to think that they do not measure up to the stipulated standards. When used appropriately, such information can help one to enhance their lifestyle, self-esteem, and have the ability to view life from a different perspective.

In the job market, individuals with a wealth of information have an advantage over the less knowledgeable in that employers are in constant search of individuals who can adapt to the current information age world. Information literate candidates are preferred since they have strong analytical problem solving and critical thinking skills that set them apart from other people (Weiner, 2011). They are most preferred in that they are capable, adaptable, and more valuable to the growth of an organization. Increased opportunities for getting a well-paying job increases one’s well-being and quality of life.

References

Bucher, K. T. (2000). The importance of information literacy skills in the middle school curriculum. The Clearing House, 73(4), 217-220.

Ranaweera, P. (2008). Importance of information literacy skills for an information literate society.

Rockman, I. F. (2004). Introduction: The importance of information literacy. Integrating information literacy into the higher education curriculum: Practical models for transformation, 1-28.

Weiner, S. A. (2011). Information literacy and the workforce: a review. Education Libraries.